One Year to Hell
by ourfamilybusiness12452
Summary: All Dean Winchester wants is happiness. So he makes a deal with Lucifer. The next day, he meets Castiel Novak. And he only has 365 days to love him. Also posted on AO3 under LadyLegendTitan16. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_**June 30, 2012, 8:37 p.m.—Deal Day**_

"I assume that you're willing to make a deal, since you've summoned me."

Dean was not surprised to hear the anger in the other man's voice, and he turned around to face him.

The Devil was not as looming as the legends and stories had made him out to be, but he did have an air of superiority. Standing in a black suit with a red tie, the fallen archangel looked like a regular business man, when it was so clear that he was not.

"What gave it away, Lucifer?" Dean answered back in a biting tone. He didn't want to have to resort to making the worst kind of deal possible, but he supposed that there was no other way to have what he wanted.

"Just hurry up and state your terms, Dean Winchester. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have all day." Lucifer sneered at the human, and Dean sighed.

The thoughts had started at the beginning of June. It had been two years since Dean had seen Sam in person, and he was proud of his younger brother for now graduating from Stanford, with his now pregnant wife Jess. Living in Lawrence, Kansas, Dean didn't see much of anybody anymore, but he did meet the strangest people because of his job as a mechanic.

As of late, Dean had been happy. He had a girlfriend, Lisa, and her son, Ben, and he had lived in a stereotypical American house. But Lisa had decided that she could do better than a mechanic and had left, taking Ben with her. Dean didn't know what to do at first, and he only had two weeks until the house rent was due. So he packed his bags and moved into the apartment building across the street from the shop. Life since then had been pretty crappy for him.

All Dean wanted was to feel that happiness again. To have someone in his life that cared for them as much as he would've cared for them. So he had summoned the Devil to make sure that his happiness would be in better hands than his own.

"I want to be happy. Truly, deeply, happy." Dean blurted out, going entirely against what his plan was. "I want a nice house and a nice job and somebody that I can love with all of my heart. And in one, I'll let myself be taken to Hell for all eternity to be tortured. But that's what I want."

Lucifer was silent long after Dean had stated the terms, and Dean was about to give up.

"I'll take it." Lucifer grinned manically and held his right hand out to Dean, who shook it cautiously. "You have until July 1, 2013. 8:37 P.M. to be exact." He smirked and crossed his arms. "And then I'll see you in Hell. Have fun, Dean Winchester." Lucifer pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead, and his world went black.

* * *

_**July 1, 2012—Day 1**_

Castiel Novak was having a bad day.

First of all, his alarm didn't go off in the morning to wake him up, so he was late for work. Then his car wouldn't start, so he was forced to take a cab to work. And after going through all that to get to work, he was fired for being late.

Not a good day at all.

Having a classic car from the sixties era was frustrating to Castiel at times, since he didn't know any place to take it to. Feeling a bit desperate, he had called his older cousin Luke for a place and had been directed to Singer & Son's Auto Repair and Restoration.

The two truck came by the house at around noon, and Castiel was glad he had dressed out of his suit and trench coat into jeans and a ratty t-shirt so his suit wouldn't get dirty in the dusty passenger seat of the truck. It only took them five minutes to get there, and when the truck brought his car into the garage, the young lady driving the tow directed him towards the lane in which his car was sitting in.

"You must be the owner of this beautiful car." A gruff voice sounded from behind Castiel as soon as he had reached his car, and he turned to see an older man, presumably the owner of the shop. "I'm Bobby. Your car's gonna need a lot of work."

"How much will it be?" Castiel asked nervously, knowing that he'd need to find another job soon to be able to afford both the house payments and the car damages.

"Go up to the counter there. Dean'll tell ya just how much you owe us in a few minutes or so." Bobby gave Castiel a reassuring smile and pointed at a man whose back was facing him. Castiel nodded his thanks and walked up to the counter.

"Um, hello." Castiel stammered out after a few minutes of just standing there, and the man—Dean, Bobby said his name was—turned to face Castiel.

"Hi." Dean's face broke out into a wide smile, and Castiel blushed at it. Their eyes locked, Dean's ivy green to Castiel's dark blue, and they couldn't seem to look away.

"Um, hi." Castiel muttered lamely, and Dean threw his head back to laugh, breaking their eye contact.

"You already said that." Dean laughed and shook his head before grabbing a pen and paper. He started scribbling on it as he looked into Castiel's eyes again. "Anyway, what can I do you for, man?"

"Well, I need to know how much my car will cost to be fixed." Castiel smiled and knew that he probably didn't make any sense at all, but he didn't care as he watched Dean's hands typing on the keyboard.

"Hm...seems like it'll be a lot." Dean turned the monitor towards Castiel, who paled at the amount on the screen.

"I don't think I can afford that." Castiel bit his lip as he spoke, and he looked down. Suddenly, a piece of paper slid in front of his hands on the counter, and he picked it up to read the writing.

"I'm sure we can figure something out, right?" Dean said with a grin, and Castiel looked up at him. "Tell you what. I'll fix your car up if you and those pretty blue eyes go on a date with me."

"I-uh, that sounds great!" Castiel managed to get out, and Dean chuckled. "Um, I'm Castiel."

"Hey Cas, I'm Dean." He replied, and while Castiel already knew that, he couldn't think past the nickname that Dean had already given him.

* * *

_**July 7, 2012—Day 7**_

Dean looked at the house where the car was parked and then back down at the address in his phone.

Dean was understandably nervous, considering that he had only really known Castiel for about two days. They had continued to text back and forth ever since they met at Dean's shop, and Dean was starting to really like the blue-eyed man. It surprised him because he never liked anybody right away before—Lisa being the exception—but Castiel was special.

"Yep, this is the place." Dean nodded to himself and got out of the car, walking up to the front door. Taking a deep breath, his finger pressed the doorbell, and Dean could hear it resounding throughout the house.

"Hello Dean." Castiel opened the door and smiled nervously at the mentioned man. Dean grinned and leaned against the doorframe.

"Damn, you look good in leather." Dean winked as he looked at the leather jacket that Castiel was wearing, and the latter blushed.

"You look good as well." Castiel bit his lip and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. Dean's breath hitched when Castiel stepped to stand in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I was thinking that we go to dinner, and then we could do something of your choice." Dean said, taking Castiel's hand and leading him to his car. "That sound good?"

"Yes, it does." Castiel smiled and got into the car, and Dean hopped into the driver's seat after closing his door.

They drove off to the restaurant—which turned out to be Italian—and they spent two hours sitting at the table before they were forced to leave for closing time. Castiel had gotten situated in the car and decided that they should go to the lake to look at the stars.

Now the lake wasn't an actual lake—but the local teenagers had dubbed the field "The Lake". The lake was a field that got muddy very easily whenever it rained in Lawrence, and if you weren't careful, you could sink so far into the mud you couldn't get out. Right next to the lake there was a strip of gravel that was big enough for cars to park on, and there wasn't a single tree anywhere along the strip to block the view of the stars. Castiel though it was perfect.

Dean parked the car on the strip and pulled a blanket out from the back seat before getting out. "Come on, Cas. Let's sit on the hood. It'll be more comfortable and we'll get a better view." Castiel nodded and exited the car.

"Where should I sit?" Castiel looked at Dean laying on the blanket, and he patted the spot next to him.

"Here." Dean grinned and scooted over on the blanket. Castiel climbed on and plopped heavily on the blanket, his hand landing in Dean's. Castiel blushed red as he craned his head up to look at Dean, but Dean locked their fingers together, giving the shorter man a grin.

* * *

_**July 21, 2012—Day 21**_

Dean and Castiel had been texting each other back and forth for two weeks, and that night, Saturday, was their second date. The first one had gone pretty well, with a kiss on the cheek and a promise to text him when the car was fixed, but when Castiel had finally gotten his car back, the texts kept coming and coming. He loved the attention that Dean was giving him and had been pleasantly surprised to know that Dean didn't care whether he was a man or not.

"So, the movies?" Dean raised an eyebrow at Castiel's words, and he nodded.

"Yes. I heard that there was a good action film that was released in theatres yesterday, and I thought that you might want to go see it." Castiel replied, leaning back in the seat of Dean's car. "I believe it's called 'The Dark Knight Rises'."

"Really?" Dean sounded surprised that Castiel wanted to go see it, as it wasn't usually his sort of movie.

"It doesn't look like a good movie, but I don't mind taking you to go see it." Castiel shrugged and smiled at Dean. "And I promise not to hog all the popcorn."

Dean threw his head back and laughed while Castiel turned on the radio, searching for a rock station to listen to.

"Dude I love this song!" Dean said loudly over the volume of the music and he started singing along to the Led Zeppelin song that was blaring from the speakers. Castiel only shook his head and hummed along.

They reached the movie theatre fairly early, and they passed through the ticket and food lines quickly. The pair entered the designated theatre with a tub of popcorn being shared between them and a large cup of Cola each in their hands.

"Where should we sit, Cas?" Dean used the nickname often, and Castiel still hadn't quite gotten used to it yet.

"Wherever you think is a good seat to watch the movie from." Castiel replied in his usual manner, but Dean was not fazed as he picked the very centre seat in the very back row. Castiel followed him up there without a question.

The movie, in Dean's opinion, was epic, while Castiel disagreed. But he couldn't really say anything as he had been watching Dean more than he had been looking at the movie screen. Castiel was fascinated by the expressions that flashed by on his face during the movie, and he only looked away whenever Dean turned to look at him.

"This was fun, Cas." Dean smiled at Castiel as they left the movie theatre, Castiel still holding his drink from the movie. "Even though you weren't even watching the movie." Castiel was surprised, and he looked at Dean, who winked at him in return. "I can feel it when your eyes are on me, Cas."

"Well I still had fun." Castiel smiled and sipped his drink. Dean slipped his hand into his without a word, and Castiel's smile grew wider as he gripped onto Dean's hand lightly.

"What are you drinking?" Dean suddenly asked, and Castiel raised an eyebrow.

"You were there when I ordered the soda, if I recall correctly." He retorted, and Dean blushed.

"I wasn't paying attention." Dean said with a sheepish grin. "I was watching you. Like you were doing to me in the movie theatre."

"Well I'm drinking Mr. Pibb." Castiel smiled and held out the cup. "Want some?"

"I've never had that before." Dean made a face before shrugging and wrapped his lips around the straw. The pair stopped walking down the strip mall as he took a drink, and Dean made a pleased noise. "Hm, interesting flavour. I like it."

"Good, cause I don't know if I would be able to forgive you if you didn't like my favourite soda." Castiel said, and he took another sip of the Mr. Pibb, closing his eyes. When he pulled the cup away from his mouth and opened his eyes, Dean was suddenly closer than he had been before.

"It's some pretty good soda." Dean whispered, his eyes flickering down to Castiel's lips, and Castiel licked them. Dean closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips to Castiel's, the latter closing his eyes as well. The kiss was short and sweet, but it was (in Castiel's eyes) a perfect first kiss.

"Well, that was unexpected." Castiel mumbled against Dean's lips, and they pulled away from each other just enough to look into each other's eyes. Dean looked slightly nervous, but that quickly melted into a smile when Castiel began to laugh quietly. Soon enough, they were both laughing.

"I think I like Mr. Pibb better when it tastes like you." Dean said quietly, leaning his forehead against Castiel's, and he blushed.

It was the ending to a perfect night.

* * *

_**August 18, 2012—Day 49**_

"Why didn't you tell me that your birthday's on Monday?" Dean said, running a hand through his hair as he talked on the phone with Castiel. "You come back that day and I'm working and that means I can't hang out with you on your freaking birthday, Cas."

"Dean, it's just the day where I turn a year older. It's not a big deal." Castiel was trying to calm Dean down, but he wouldn't listen.

"Cas, of course it's a big deal! You turn 38 in two days and I won't get to see you because you'll be back from Pontiac and I'll be my work and I just want to see my boyfriend on his birthday and give him a present Cas, is that too much to ask?" Dean took a deep breath after he stopped talking and he could almost hear Castiel grinning.

"So I'm your boyfriend now?" Castiel asked, and Dean grinned on his side of the phone line.

"If you'll take me." Dean shyly replied.

"That is the best birthday present I could ever receive." Castiel spoke quietly, and Dean grinned before hanging up.

* * *

**_August 20, 2012—Day 51_**

Dean couldn't think while working that day. He was under the hood of a car trying to figure out what was wrong with the engine, but he had been thinking about the same problem for three hours.

"Dean." A voice said from behind him and Dean straightened up quickly, hitting his head on the hood.

"Dammit Bobby, don't startle me like that, seriously." Dean set his tools down and looked at Bobby with crossed arms. "What's up?"

"Look," Bobby sighed and crossed his arms as well. "I know why you're distracted, boy. Just go and have your fun today."

"Bobby, I can't, I gotta stay here and work at the garage!" Dean protested. He knew that Bobby wanted him to loosen up, but this was a paying job that he couldn't afford to lose this time.

"It's a slow day." Bobby replied gruffly. "And you haven't had a single day off since you started working here. Just take it and leave already."

"You sure?" Dean bit his lip, still not sure if he should or not.

"Get out before I change my mind, Winchester." Bobby growled as he stalked off to his office, and Dean grinned, pulling his phone out to text Castiel.

Dean drove straight to Castiel's house, not bothering changing out of his mechanic's clothes since they'd probably be staying in that day. Dean got out of his beloved '67 Chevy Impala and almost ran up the driveway to the front door. He pressed the doorbell and leaned against the doorframe. After a few second, the door opened to Castiel's smiling face.

"Dean, you're here!" Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's waist, obviously not caring about the fact that Dean was covered in oil and grease and whatever else he might have gotten on his clothes at the shop.

"Of course I am, Cas." Dean wrapped his arms around his shoulders and kissed the top of Castiel's head. "It's your birthday. I wanted to be here."

"But you have to be at work." Castiel pulled back and pulled Dean into the house, shutting the door behind them.

"Bobby told me to take the day off. I haven't since I started working there, so he told me to take it off and come to see you." Dean said, and then he kissed Castiel.

"As adorable as you two are, Castiel, I'd rather not see my little brother snogging his boyfriend." A voice rang out from the kitchen, and the pair broke apart, both of them blushing. Dean looked towards the kitchen and saw a smartly dressed man leaning against the wall, an amused look on his face.

"And who are you?" Dean couldn't help saying it, and Castiel laughed. He took Dean's hand and led him to the kitchen.

"Dean, this is my older brother, Balthazar Roche. Balthazar, this is my boyfriend, Dean." Castiel squeezed Dean's hand and introduced them with a smile on his face.

"Why the different last name?" Dean blurted, and Balthazar laughed.

"I like him, Castiel. He's very straightforward." Balthazar said, and Castiel blushed. "Castiel's adopted, and our mother decided to keep his last name the same instead of changing it to Roche like our family name." Dean nodded his understanding and smiled.

The trio stood in the kitchen for well over four hours, just talking about Castiel's birthdays, the funny things that Balthazar had gone through when Castiel went through his pranking phase with their cousin Gabriel, and Dean reluctantly told a few of his own embarrassing stories. By the end of the day, the three men were almost in tears from laughter.

"This is the best birthday ever." Castiel said once they were all done laughing about how Dean had pranked Sam and in return had to wear his hair pink for a month at school.

"I'm glad." Balthazar said, and then he stretched his arms upwards. "Well, it's getting late, and I have a flight back home to Manhattan tomorrow, so I will be taking my leave." Dean and Castiel said their goodbyes, and Balthazar left the house.

"I really mean it Dean." Castiel said. "This is the best birthday I've ever had."

"But I haven't even given you your gift yet." Dean said, and Castiel pouted.

Dean knew that he didn't have all that long with Castiel, at most about ten months left before he was taken to Hell. But he wanted Castiel to remember him. So picking the birthday present for his boyfriend took a lot of thinking through, but Dean decided that it was perfect.

Dean reached around his own neck and unclasped the demon head necklace that Sam had given him when he was twelve.

"Dean, I can't take something that's yours." Castiel tried to say against it, but Dean wouldn't hear it. He took the necklace and unclasped it again, closing the clasp when it was around Castiel's neck.

"When I was twelve, my dad had finally gone off the deep end with drinking. My mom had died eight years before, so I can understand why it took such a toll on him." Dean started to explain, and Castiel frowned, but let him continue on with the story. "He was drunk all the time, and he tried to hit Sammy once, so I called Bobby and he came and picked us up, taking us to his house. Sam was understandably upset since I had jumped in the way of Dad's fist before he could hit Sam, but the kid was eight. And I couldn't let that happen." Dean took a deep breath and slid his hands down Castiel's arms to hold his hands.

"So how did you get the necklace?" Castiel asked in a soft whisper, and Dean took in a shaky breath as he continued.

"It was Christmas Day when we went to Bobby's that year, and Dad had gotten mad at Sam for trying to give him a Christmas present." Dean laughed humourlessly and shook his head. "I don't know why, but I do know that my younger brother's got the biggest heart in the world. Put him in a room with a murderer and he'll turn the guy into the best crime solving detective the world's ever seen." Castiel smiled a bit at Dean's words, knowing that if he stayed quiet, the story would continue. "So we got to Bobby's and Sam hands me this horribly wrapped package. It was wrapped in the comics of the Sunday paper, and I was mad at him for giving me a gift that wasn't supposed to be mine. But I opened it as soon as he broke out the puppy dog eyes, and I instantly loved the necklace. I have no idea where Sam had gotten it from, but I never took it off after that. Not until now." Dean finished with a whisper, and Castiel's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Wow, I feel special." Castiel said, somewhat jokingly, and Dean grinned widely.

"You are special, Cas." Dean said, and he wiped the stray tears away with a gentle thumb. "And if you'll let me, I'll prove it to you. For the rest of our lives if you want me to."

"I would like that." Castiel said, biting his lip, and they spent the rest of the night trading lazy kisses and stories from their past.


	2. Chapter 2

_**September 15, 2012—Day 78**_

"Cas, I promise you. Sam and Jess are gonna love you." Dean was trying to comfort his boyfriend on the couch in his own apartment, but Castiel was still ignoring him and still pacing around the living room. "Cas, babe, you're going to be just fine." Dean glanced at the calendar hanging on the refrigerator and frowned at the date (it's been seventy-eight days, Dean, you've got two hundred eighty-seven days left to be with him chill out already!) circled.

"I still can't help it Dean, I mean, what if I mess something up and everything falls to crap?" Castiel was oblivious to Dean's inner monologue and he ran a hand through his hair, making it look even crazier than it normally did. "I mean, I don't have a job, I can't find another job, and I'm a screw up."

"Castiel Novak, you are not a screw up." Dean took on a serious tone that made Castiel freeze, and he looked at Dean sheepishly through his long, dark eyelashes.

"I'm sorry Dean." Castiel wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, and Dean hugged back. "I'm so nervous though."

Ding-dong.

Castiel looked at the door like a deer in the headlights, and Dean only chuckled as he intertwined his fingers with him.

"Don't be scared, Cas." Dean said reassuringly, and Castiel only had time to take in a deep breath when Dean opened the door.

"Dean, hey!" Sam exclaimed happily, and Dean let go of Castiel's hand to his his younger but taller brother.

"It's good to see you, Sammy." Dean replied, patting Sam's back, and they broke apart. Dean was wrapped in a hug by Jess, and Sam looked at Castiel.

"Um, hello, I'm Castiel." Castiel awkwardly said, and Sam hugged him tightly, taking Castiel by surprise.

"Hey, don't crush my boyfriend, Sam!" Dean's voice cut through the hug, and Sam laughed.

"Sorry man, I can't help it." Sam shrugged and took Jess' hand. "I'm Sam and this is my wife, Jess." Jess looked up at him with a smile, and Dean led the group into the living room.

"Hey Sammy, you want something to drink?" He called out from the kitchen, and Sam shook his head to Castiel.

"Nope, I'm good." Sam replied, and his older brother came back out from the kitchen with two beers in his hand. He gave one to Castiel and sat down on the couch, prompting the rest of the group to sit down in various places of the living room themselves. Sam and Jess shared the armchair while Castiel sat almost on top of his boyfriend.

"So, how's the baby, Jess?" Dean looked at his sister-in-law with a grin, and Jess gave him a grin in return.

"She's doing great." She replied, and he sipped his beer lightly.

"I'm having a niece?" Dean asked excitedly, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, you are." He said in return, and Castiel couldn't stop himself from grinning widely with him.

* * *

_**September 25, 2012—Day 88**_

"I really like Jess." Castiel didn't even bother to say hi to his boyfriend and just talked as soon as Dean had picked up the phone. "When do we get to see her again?"

"I don't know, why don't you text her yourself?" Dean laughed as he leaned back in his chair, looking around at the workers in the garage that were on their own lunch breaks.

"You know that I do not have the patience for texting other people, Dean." Castiel said, and Dean could hear papers rustling. He glanced at the clock, which said blinkingly 12:09, and he frowned.

"Cas, what are you doing?" He asked, and he could practically hear the blush spreading on Castiel's face.

"Well, um, my cousin Gabriel has a job opening in his hotel chain, and he promised that if I took the job he offered me, I could be the hotel manager." Castiel replied, and Dean was slightly surprised. "I mean, it's been a couple of months since I was not so nicely laid off by my ass of a boss so I asked if he knew anybody and it turns out that he needed another worker."

"Gabriel sounds like a good guy." Dean absentmindedly noticed.

"Yeah, he is." Castiel agreed.

* * *

_**October 1, 2012—Day 94**_

Dean sat on the couch after coming back home from the shop and sighed. He had gotten a call from his dad yesterday and was getting pretty stressed about it.

Because John Winchester was coming to Lawrence, Kansas.

Dean was also mad about the fact that John had the audacity to bring his second wife, Kate, and their son, Adam. They weren't even Winchesters; they were Milligans. Milligans.

"Come on Dean, it'll only be for a few days." John had said, and he had continued on in this manner before Dean had finally relented.

His thoughts drifted from his dad to Castiel. Castiel was so different from what Dean originally liked, but once Dean had gotten to know him, he fell hard.

You only have until June 31, 2014 Dean. Don't let yourself fall.

He told himself that every day, every morning when he woke up. But after that day that Castiel had met his brother and instantly was brought into the family, Dean lost count of the days. It didn't matter anymore. But it did.

"Why did I have to fall in love?" Dean spoke to himself, and then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"Because you were meant to." A female voice said from behind him, and Dean stood up, looking at the girl that was standing in the kitchen doorway.

She wasn't anything special to look at, unlike other girls. The mysterious girl had dark brown hair and eyes to match, making her an average person.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Dean growled, taking a step towards her, but the girl just shook her head and laughed.

"Silly Dean." She said, and then she took a step towards him. "I'm Meg, Meg Masters, and I'm like a little angel on your shoulder." Meg made a face. "Actually, a demon. Angels don't really exist."

"Lucifer does." Dean retorted.

"But do you have any other proof that there are other angels out there?" Meg asked, tilting her head to the side, and Dean set his beer down. "I thought not."

"You're a demon?" Dean said, and he raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Of course." Meg said. "I'm a demon working for Lucifer. Only a black-eyed demon though, nothing super special like the white-eyed bit...meanie butt." To prove her point, Meg's eyes turned entirely black, and Dean shuddered.

"Now that's just creepy." He said, and Meg laughed, turning her eyes back to their original state.

"I know. But I can't complain. It helps me get what I want from other people." Meg said, and she took another step towards Dean. "Lucifer didn't make Cas like you just because of the deal, Dean, so stop thinking it." Immediately Dean's face represented a guilty toddler, and Meg chuckled.

"Then why did he do it?" Dean asked, and Meg sighed.

"I can't tell you yet. You have to be far enough into the deal that it won't hurt anything." Meg said, whispering slightly, and he shook his head. A knock resounded throughout the now silent air, and Dean looked at her with a sigh.

"I gotta get that. You...go." He said, and she nodded. Dean turned to look at the door. "I'll be right there!" He turned to look at Meg once again, but she was gone.

* * *

_**December 25, 2012—Day 179**_

Dean was freaking out. Why, you ask?

Because he was going to ask Castiel to move in with him in his tiny apartment.

It shouldn't be that hard, Dean knew that. But he still couldn't think rationally about this. They hadn't even told each other the most important three words in a relationship, and Dean wasn't sure if he would ever be able to say them without choking on the words.

He hated how cliche his life had become ever since he made the deal, but Dean wouldn't change it for the world. He had his boyfriend, and he was going to enjoy the six months he had left with him.

John Winchester hadn't taken lightly to the fact that Dean was going out with another male; in fact, he purposely made everything ten times worse for Castiel, and Dean hated him even more for it. Just thinking back to the ruined Thanksgiving dinner they had to spend together made Dean want to drive up to Ann Arbor, Michigan and suffocate his dad until he apologised for everything he had said.

"Dean, are you in here?" Castiel's voice said from the doorway, and Dean looked up.

"Yeah, I'm in the living room." He replied, and the sound of Castiel's footsteps came closer and closer to him. Dean panicked and quickly plopped down on the couch, trying to hide his nervousness (which didn't really work since his boyfriend noticed everything about him).

"Dean, are you alright?" Castiel asked, and he nodded quickly. Castiel made a face, proving that he didn't really believe the younger man, but he pretended to not notice, which Dean found nice.

"Come on, Cas. I promise I'm not sick or hiding anything bad." He wrapped his hands around the older man's wrist and pulled Castiel on top of him. "Believe me." Dean snuggled into his neck, and the gravelly laugh he loved so much sounded from above him.

"I believe you, Dean. I always will." Castiel said, and he grinned widely.

"Thanks, Cas." Dean replied, and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist. "So, do you want to open your gift first?"

"I suppose I will, if you want me to." Castiel smiled and he wriggled out of Dean's lap and he crawled over to the tree, his boyfriend staring at him adoringly.

Everything good has to end sometime, Dean. Don't think on it now.

Ever since that day in October when Dean met Meg, he had been imagining her voice in his head telling him that he had to let go of Castiel. But every time he thought of doing it, he couldn't bare the thought of being without his angel for another second.

"Dean, which one should I open?" Castiel's voice asking the innocent question helped bring Dean out of his thoughts, and he smiled.

"Whichever one you want, baby." He replied, still in his thoughts just a bit, and Castiel chuckled as he picked up the big silvery box with a blue ribbon. "Oh, that one's from Sam and Jess."

"And where is the happy couple right now?" Castiel asked, and Dean grinned.

"They are staying at Uncle Bobby's house just across town. Sam wanted them to be in Lawrence when the baby was born and Jess was more than happy to agree with him." He chuckled at the thought of his brother jumping up and down for joy when Jess had finally caved to Sam's wishes. "I'm pretty sure she only said yes just so he wouldn't pull the puppy dog eyes on him."

"I'm sure that's true." Castiel said, nodding his agreement, and Dean was about to reply before his cell phone rang. Confused as to why somebody would call him on Christmas this late, he picked up the phone to look at the caller ID.

"Dammit Cas, I gotta take this." Dean said, standing up. "Sam's calling, and he wouldn't call if it wasn't something extremely important." Dean left the room with a small smile in Castiel's direction as he answered the phone, entering the next room.

"Sam, why are you calling so late at night?" Dean asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the clock, and he managed to stifle a yawn as Sam replied.

"Dean, it's Jess." Sam said hurriedly, and his older brother frowned.

"What about your wife?" He asked, and he almost broke out into laughter when Sam practically started to hyperventilate.

"We're here at the hospital." Sam's words made Dean freeze up inside, and he vaguely wondered if there was something wrong with Jess before Sam continued on with his rambling. "Jess is going into labour, Dean, you have to be here."

"Holy shit Sam, now?" Dean immediately woke up, and he set his phone on speakerphone before pulling a pair of Vans onto his feet.

"Yes Dean, now." Sam's voice came through the phone exasperated, and Dean chuckled.

"Sam, you're gonna be a dad." Dean said excitedly, and he shrugged his leather jacket on before grabbing his keys and leaving the room with his phone in hand. "We'll be there soon, hold tight."

"Bye Dean." Sam said, and then he hung up. Dean entered the living room to see Castiel sitting on the ground with the silver box in his hands, the wrapping untouched, and the latter frowned.

"You going somewhere?" Castiel said, sounding slightly offended, and Dean grinned widely.

"We are going to the hospital." Dean replied, throwing Castiel's jacket at him, and the blue-eyed man stood up off of the ground quickly.

"Wait, what? Why?" Castiel pulled his jacket on and walked over to the front door, pulling on his Converse shoes.

"You'll see." Dean smiled at him and they walked out to the Impala. Dean drove as fast as he could without breaking the law towards the hospital, and they made it there in less than twenty minutes.

"Dean, can you please tell me what all this rush is about?" Castiel said as they rushed into the hospital, and Dean just grabbed onto his hand and ran them through the halls until they literally ran into a panicking Sam.

"Dean! Oh, thank God you're here." He said to his older brother, and Dean grinned.

"Of course I'm here, why wouldn't I be here for this?" He asked rhetorically, and Sam shrugged. Castiel just looked between the two of them, absolutely confused.

"What's happening here?" Castiel asked, and Sam chuckled.

"Of course you didn't tell him, Dean." The tall man shook his head with a smile and then looked down at Castiel. "Jess is in labour. And I'm slightly freaking out because the doctor kicked me out but I want to be there for her."

"Then tell that to the doctor and get in there so your wife can have the baby without worrying about where the hell you are." Dean laughed, and Sam nodded.

"Okay." He said, and then he disappeared into the room. Dean sat down in a chair across the hall and Castiel sat down next to him.

"You're going to be an uncle, Dean." He said in a slightly awed tone, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I am." The green eyed man grinned down at his boyfriend, and Castiel snuggled into him.

Just an hour later, Sam burst out of the room with a wide grin, and Dean immediately stood up, causing Castiel to wake up from being knocked off his shoulder so suddenly.

"So?" Dean asked, and his brother just wrapped his arms around Dean's shoulders. Sam laughed as Dean awkwardly patted his back and they broke apart from the hug. Castiel looked in the room with trepidation, and he bit his lip.

"Can we go in?" He asked, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, let's go in." He replied, and the three men walked into the room.

Jessica was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking tired beyond belief, but she looked extremely happy. Her attention was directed entirely towards the bundle of pink in her arms, and Dean was frozen at the door as he took in the scene in front of him.

"Dean, come here." Sam waved him over, and Dean slowly walked to the side of the bed. Jess placed the baby in his arms, and he looked down at the girl. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked up at Dean curiously. He was shocked at the sight of her dark blue eyes, and he glanced up to look at Castiel with a smile before looking down at her.

"She's beautiful, Jess." Dean grinned, and he walked around the bed to stand beside Castiel.

"You want to hear her name, it's perfect." Sam said after him and Jessica had finished their quiet conversation. Dean raised an eyebrow and gently handed the baby girl to Castiel, who floundered for the slightest bit of time before getting her situated in his arms.

"Oh? Do share with the class, Sammy." Dean retorted sarcastically, and Sam bit his lip, letting Jessica tell them.

"Her name is Cassandra Jessica Winchester." She said, and Dean made a face. They all laughed, and Dean turned his attention to Castiel and Cassandra. Seeing the baby in his boyfriend's arms sent a surge of affection through Dean's heart.

Wait a minute. Castiel. Cassandra. Cas.

_Oh._

"You named her after…" Dean trailed off, unable to produce words, and both Jessica and Sam nodded.

"I saw how happy he made you, and well, he dragged you from your own personal hell, Dean." Sam replied quietly, Castiel not hearing this exchange of words, and Dean his lip. He wouldn't be able to see his own niece turn a year old, but he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist from behind.

"Ready to go and give the new family some time to themselves?" Dean asked quietly, and Castiel nodded. He walked over to Jessica and handed the tiny baby back to her mother.

"Congratulations, you two." Castiel whispered, and Sam nodded.

"Thanks, Cas." He grinned widely. "Bye Uncle Dean." Dean made a face and grumbled as he walked out of the hospital room. Castiel followed him out and took his hand as they walked to the car.

"I never thought that Sam would have a wife and a kid before I even got married." Dean muttered to himself, yet the shorter man still heard it.

"I never thought I would get married. Or get engaged. Or even be in a relationship." Castiel replied, and he grinned up at his boyfriend.

Dean opened his mouth to reply, and then it suddenly hit him. He wasn't going to have a future with Castiel. He wasn't going to have a future with the person that was one of the most important people in his life.

"You're not going to get more time, you do realise that, right?" Meg's voice said from behind him, and Dean turned to see her standing there, hands on her hips and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He then looked to Castiel, but it was like the moment they had just shared was frozen in time forever.

"What are you doing here, demon?" Dean spat out, and the black-eyed demon only shook her head, the corners of her lips twitching into a smirk.

"I told you to call me Meg." She said snarkily, and he turned the death glare onto her. "And I can only freeze time for so long, so you better listen up, okay?" Dean let go of Castiel's hand gently and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm listening." He replied, and Meg chewed on her bottom lip before continuing.

"You have 186 days left before the hellhounds come and take you to Hell, Dean." She started, and Dean opened his mouth to protest, but she held her hand up to halt his words. "And while your happiness is important to Castiel, you need to make sure that he's happy as well."

"What do you mean by that?" Dean asked angrily, and she only laughed.

"While your time is coming, you need to remember his family. More importantly, Balthazar."

"What is it?" Dean asked. "What do I have to remember about Balthazar?" Dean turned his head back around to Meg, but she was gone. He turned around and took Castiel's hand again, looking for Meg, but she had disappeared.

"Dean, are you alright?" Castiel asked, his voice laced with concern, and Dean looked back down at him with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, and as they walked out to the car, Dean couldn't help but think.

_186 days left._


	3. Chapter 3

**_January 15, 2013—Day 200_**

Dean lifted the heavy box with a grunt and grumbled to himself as he walked down the ramp of the U Haul, wondering why on earth Castiel wanted to move into his apartment on a Tuesday when the two of them could be working at their actual jobs. He managed to get the door open and he walked into the room, setting the box down on the couch.

"Geez Cas, you've got a lot of stuff." He said, turning to the blue eyed man, and Castiel shrugged.

"I've held onto a lot of stuff over the years." He shrugged and turned to go out to the U Haul, but Dean wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him back.

"Truck's empty." He said quietly, and Castiel smiled as Dean pressed a small kiss to the back of his neck. "Now we can just unpack all these boxes."

"That will take quite some time." Castiel said, and his boyfriend laughed.

"So let's get started!" Dean said, letting go of the shorter man, and the two started opening the boxes.

* * *

**_February 14, 2013—Day 230_**

Castiel had been living with Dean for about a month, which meant that the two of them couldn't really keep anything hidden from the other for long. But somehow, Castiel managed to make plans for the day, and as far as he knew, Dean had no idea what they were.

He had been lucky to hear that Bobby had closed the car garage for the rest of the week, giving Castiel the perfect chance to start with his Valentine's Day plans.

"Dean, you need to wake up." Castiel whispered into his boyfriend's ear, and the only thing that came out of his mouth was a groan.

"Cas, go to sleep." He mumbled grumpily, and he snuggled closer to the pillow that he was hugging. Castiel frowned and sat up against the headboard, picking up the plate of food from the bedside table.

"Fine." He said with a smirk. "You can go back to sleep and I'll eat the pie I spent hours making all by myself." Dean sat up quickly, looking at the pie in his boyfriend's hand.

"What kind of pie is it?" He asked quietly.

"Apple." Castiel replied, and Dean scooted closer to Cas until they were pressed together.

"Give me a fork." He demanded, and Castiel laughed as he picked up the extra fork on the table, handing it to the green eyed man. Dean dug in and together they finished the slice of pie quickly, Dean being the one to eat the most of it.

"You definitely liked it, then?" Castiel asked, slightly hopeful.

"I loved it, Cas." Dean said, smiling at his boyfriend, and he pressed an enthusiastic kiss to Castiel's lips before standing up from the bed. "So what are we doing today?"

"Well, I made reservations for dinner at a lovely restaurant called 'The Roadhouse'." Castiel started, and he stood up from the bed, taking the two forks and the plate with him. The pair walked into the kitchen while Castiel talked. "But I was thinking that maybe today we could just hang out, like usual."

"Cas…" Dean trailed off, but he wouldn't stop talking.

"I mean, we hang out here quite a lot, and I know you're not into big romantic gestures, but I love it when we just lay down on the couch and—" Castiel was cut off by a pair of lips on his own, and he decided to go along with it instead of protesting.

"I think's it's absolutely perfect." Dean whispered, smiling against Castiel's lips, and they shared another kiss.

The two men spent most of their day snuggling on the couch while watching crappy 80s movies that Dean had claimed were absolute classics. But when it was six, Castiel stood up.

"We need to get ready or else we're going to miss our reservation." He said, causing Dean to pout, but he stood up and they both walked into the room. Castiel got into the shower first while Dean dug through the closet to find an outfit to wear for the night, and then they switched.

"Hey Cas, do you think that…" Dean trailed off as he entered the bathroom fully dressed, and his mouth opened wide when his eyes landed on his boyfriend.

Castiel was wearing a black suit, the shirt underneath black as well, and the top two buttons were undone. Hanging loosely around his neck was a dark blue tie that matched his eyes, and Dean vaguely remembered it from the first time that they met.

"Jesus Christ, you look hot." Dean said, and Castiel turned around to look at him.

The taller man was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and an earth green button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The usual elephant hair bracelet was on his wrist, but the watch he normally wore was gone. The usual demon head necklace had long ago been given to Castiel, and for Christmas he had gotten another leather rope chain that had the Eye of Horus hanging off of it. Since it was from Castiel, he loved it immediately.

"I will say the exact same to you Dean, you look hot." Castiel grinned widely, and he walked over to his boyfriend, resting his head in the crook of Dean's neck.

"Cas, you continue doing that and we'll miss the reservation." Dean said with a chuckle, but he didn't push Castiel away, instead choosing to wrap his arms around the man.

"I know." He replied, looking up at Dean, and they shared a smile. Dean's face melted into something a bit more serious than a smile, and Castiel bit his lip, slightly worried.

"Cas…" Dean started, obviously looking nervous, but the blue eyed man smiled reassuringly up at him, and that pushed Dean to continue. "I'm not all into that whole chick flick moment thing. And now I'm starting to sound like one." They both chuckled, and Dean sighed, taking Castiel's face in his hands. "I've never felt this way before about anybody. Ever. And then you walked into my life and changed everything about how I feel."

"Dean, you don't have to say this just because it's Valentine's Day." Castiel interrupted softly, and the taller man shook his head.

"I'm not." He said. "Cas, when I first realised it, I admit that I was a bit scared. But I'm not. Not anymore, at least." Dean looked into his eyes and smiled. "I l-l-l…" He trailed off, not really being able to say the words without choking on them.

"I know, Dean." Castiel whispered, and he grinned widely. "Me too. And I promise you, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Dean's smile widened at these words, and he kissed Castiel passionately.

They never made it to their reservation.

* * *

**_May 26, 2013—Day 331_**

Dean opened his eyes to be blinded with a ray of light. He shut them quickly and groaned, licking his lips.

"What is that godawful taste in my mouth?" He grumbled quietly, and Dean tried to roll over, but he was stopped by a weight on his chest. He held his hand up against the sunlight and craned his head to look at what it was. When he saw Castiel's dark and always messy hair, he let out a breath of relief and plopped his head back down on the pillow. He waited for his boyfriend to wake up, which wasn't very long at all.

"Dean, what happened last night?" Were the first words to come out of Castiel's mouth, and he smacked his lips together. "I think I need some water." The two men sat up and Dean found a glass of water already filled on the bedside table. He took a big gulp and then handed it to Castiel, who did the same thing.

"Um, I'm not too sure." Dean frowned, and then he noticed a piece of paper on the bedside table with a ring of water on it. He scooted over and brought the paper up so he could see it, and Dean paled once he saw that it was a marriage certificate.

"What's wrong, Dean?" Castiel crawled up behind Dean and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"We got married last night, Cas." He replied, handing the marriage certificate to his now-husband, and Castiel frowned in confusion as he looked at it.

"I'm guessing that this is a normal thing for couples that travel to Las Vegas, yes?" Castiel asked, setting the certificate down on the bedside table. Dean chuckled and leaned into Castiel.

"I guess so." He said, looking up as the blue eyes man, and they both grinned.

"As long as I get to be Mr. Winchester, then I have no objections whatsoever." Castiel said, and Dean bit his lip.

"Castiel Winchester." He mused, and after a short silence, he nodded. "I love it."

"Not as much as I love you." Castiel whispered, and they both got off of the bed to get ready to drive back home. It wasn't the first time Castiel had said the words, and Dean was sure it wouldn't be the last time either, but Dean still wasn't ready to say it. Castiel understood, he did, but the green eyed man hated how he couldn't speak the three words that he had longed to.

"Let's go." Dean said once the two men were ready to leave, and the checked out of the motel at record speed. While the Impala was driving on the highway back to Lawrence, Dean put in his cassette tape of Def Leppard's Hysteria to try and block out the unwanted thoughts that were swirling around in his head.

34 days left.

* * *

_**June 30, 2013—Day 364**_

When Dean entered their apartment after work that Tuesday, he was met with the sight of Castiel pacing back and forth in front of the couch.

"Cas...what exactly are you doing here early from work?" Dean asked, frowning slightly as he shut the door behind him, and Castiel startled, looking up to meet Dean's eyes.

Castiel was crying.

Dean dropped his coat and bag and hurried over to his obviously distraught husband, hugging him tightly.

"Dean, I—" Castiel started, but then he broke out into a sob. His husband's arms tightened around him and he pressed himself as close to Dean as he could possibly get.

"Sh, don't cry Cas." Dean said, patting his hair lightly, and Castiel took in a shuddering breath. "What's wrong?"

"Balthazar, he…" Castiel said quietly once he had calmed down enough to talk, and Dean froze up. He liked Balthazar. He was one of Castiel's family members that was not only a good friend of Dean's, but also supported their sudden marriage in Las Vegas last month and their relationship in general.

"What happened to him?" Dean asked, not sure what else to say, and he rubbed the shorter man's back gently.

"It was a car accident." He started, and Dean moved them to the couch as Castiel talked. "He's alive, but in critical condition."

"And you want to go up to Manhattan and see him." Dean finished for him, and Castiel nodded.

"I know, it's such late notice, but—" Dean cut him off right there.

"Pack your stuff, Cas." He said, and he almost ran into the room, Castiel trailing behind him slowly. "It's only about a nineteen hour drive to get to the hospital there, and I'm sure that the Impala can make it there even faster." Dean grabbed a duffle bag from the closet and started stuffing clothes into it. Two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, some clean underwear, a bunch of random socks that probably weren't even matching, and his cell phone charger.

"You would do that?" Castiel asked in a timid voice once he was done with his packing, and Dean nodded.

"I would do anything for you, Cas." Dean said quietly, and that was all the shorter man needed to start his own packing.

Dean drove the Impala out of the apartment building's parking lot at exactly 8:37 P.M., and Castiel fell asleep immediately.

"You never told him, did you?" Meg said, appearing suddenly in the backseat of the Impala, and Dean didn't even swerve as he continued on the highway towards Lenox Hill Hospital.

"Tell him what?" Dean asked, and he turned the radio off to talk to the demon. "Tell him that in 24 hours a hellhound will come for me and drag me to Hell? Tell him that I knew something would happen to Balthazar because a demon told me?" Meg flinched and gave Dean a reassuring look through the rearview mirror.

"You never told him how much you love him." She answered his first question quietly, and the car sank into a solemn silence.

"But he knows." Dean said, trying to redeem himself, but they both knew that Meg was right. Dean was about to go to Hell for crying out loud and he still couldn't say those three words to the person that mattered most to him.

"You and I both know that knowing and actually hearing it is not the same thing." Meg said, and she disappeared.

"I know." Dean whispered to empty air, and he continued driving towards New York.

* * *

_**July 1, 2013, 3:37 P.M. Kansas Time—Day 365**_

It had been nineteen hours since Dean had left Lawrence, Kansas to drive Castiel to see his cousin in the hospital, and he knew that his time was coming. He only had five hours left with Castiel, and he was spending it in a hospital.

Not that he would complain, of course.

"You go in and see Balthazar, I'm gonna take a walk." Dean said when he had parked the Impala in a spot, and he handed the keys to Castiel. "I'll be back in a few hours." Castiel had thanked him for giving him time to see his family alone and they parted with a kiss.

Dean wandered aimlessly for about three hours before he realised that he had walked to Central Park.

"Might as well." He mumbled to himself, and he entered the park. Dean was glad to see that the area of the park he was in was completely empty besides himself, and he sat down on a bench. The green eyed man pulled out his phone to look at the time, and he clenched his jaw once he saw it.

7:37 P.M. Kansas Time—One hour left.

Dean typed in Castiel's number, having it already memorised for so long, and the phone picked up almost immediately.

"Dean? Where are you?" Castiel asked, slightly frantic, and Dean's eyes teared up at the sound of his voice over the phone.

"I'm in Central Park." He replied, looking around, and he spotted a street sign. "Around 85th Street."

"I'll be there soon." Castiel said, but before Dean could protest, he hung up.

"He might not make it in time." Meg said from next to him, and Dean didn't bother looking at her as he nodded slowly.

"You're right." Dean said, and the both of them sat together on the bench in silence for almost an hour.

"Dean?" Castiel's voice said from behind him, and Dean stood up, facing his husband. Meg had disappeared for once, leaving the two alone for the last time. "Why are you out here?"

"Because I didn't want you to see." Dean said, and a voice resounded in his head.

Five minutes.

"See what?" Castiel said, taking a step forward towards Dean, and he tilted his head in confusion.

The taller man took in a breath, trying not to look desperate, but it was all he could do to keep himself from telling Castiel everything, which was against the rules.

"Cas, I need to tell you something." Dean said firmly, taking Castiel's hands in his, and the blue eyed man looked slightly sad. "No, I'm not breaking up with you." Castiel's smile returned, although it disappeared from his face soon after.

"What is it, Dean?" He whispered in his gravelly voice, and Dean took in another breath.

Four minutes.

"From the first day I saw you, I knew that it was you." Dean started, and before he could stop himself, the words started pouring out of his mouth. "I knew from that moment on that you would be the one to make me happy. That you would be the person that changed my whole world around. And I could envision our future together right then and there." Castiel teared up, but he stayed quiet as Dean spoke

Three minutes.

"And I knew for a fact that we were going to get married, and make each other happier than anybody's ever seen us, and I wanted it. I craved it." Dean was talking faster now, as if he didn't have time to say the words. But really, he didn't. "And you were so awkward standing there in your suit and trench coat and I thought you were crazy for wearing that outfit because it was really hot outside." They both laughed, and Dean wiped a tear that had fallen down Castiel's cheeks.

Three minutes.

"And then we went on our first date and you had no idea what you were doing and I told myself that it was too early, that I couldn't feel this way already." He leaned his forehead against Castiel's and looked into his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears. "But it's a year today since we met, and I'm still the same person that you met a year ago, but I'm happier. So much happier."

Two minutes.

Dean was crying at this point, not being able to hold back the tears anymore, and he held Castiel close to him as he spoke.

"I'm not really one for chick flick moments, but this is cheesier than every movie out there." Dean said, and he laughed through his tears, not able to tell if they were happy or sad tears anymore. Castiel laughed with him, and then Dean sniffed.

"I wish I could have told you why everything had to be like this, but I can't." He continued. "I only have two minutes left."

"Two minutes left for what?" Castiel frowned, and then realisation dawned on his face. In that moment Dean knew for sure that he had figured it out. "You didn't. Dean, please tell me that you didn't do what I think you did."

One minute.

"I wished to be happy." Dean said softly, allowed to tell him now that Castiel had figured it out for himself. "And instead of happiness, I got you. And I will never regret that decision."

"But Dean—" Castiel started, but he interrupted the blue eyed man.

"I love you." Dean said, and Castiel's dark blue eyes widened slightly. "I think fell in love with you when you first walked into the garage looking completely lost and out of your element." He smiled sadly, and kissed Castiel lightly before pulling away from him entirely. "I love you so much, Castiel Novak."

"It's Winchester!" Castiel said, and they both laughed before the barking sounded.

"I know." Dean looked in his direction with sad eyes, and then he turned towards where the ferocious barking had come from. A big and black shadow was running towards Dean, and the two men watched. Suddenly, it jumped onto Dean's chest, and he fell to the ground with a shout.

"Dean!" Castiel cried, not being able to watch his husband get mauled by a hellhound, and he stood helplessly behind the bench.

The hellhound clawed Dean's chest repeatedly, and blood was spurting all over the ground. Soon enough, the blood entirely covered Dean's skin, hiding the true colour and his freckles. Once the hellhound disappeared, Dean was laying on the sidewalk in a puddle of blood and his eyes were open, looking up at the night sky. Castiel was frozen in his spot for a minute before he ran around the bench, falling to the ground at Dean's side.

"Dean, no." Castiel mumbled, and he hugged Dean to his body, not caring about the blood that was seeping through his clothes to stain his tanned skin a dark red.

Castiel hoped that Dean was still alive, but it was already too late. His bright, green eyes had glazed over, and a tear had dripped onto his bloodstained cheek.

"I love you too, Dean Winchester." Castiel said quietly, and then the man who had made Dean a happier person broke apart inside.

* * *

**Fin**


End file.
